By D. Lyn Hunter, Public Affairs
Posted September 8, 1999

Crews continue work on reconstructing Albany Village, student housing that was originally built during World War II. Peg Skorpinski photo.

The start of the school year finds several areas of the campus under construction as buildings are seismically upgraded, facilities are renovated and infrastructure is modernized, according to Jeff Gee, director of Planning, Design and Construction.

The new Haas Pavilion, which is slated for completion later this fall, adds 6,000 more seats to the old Harmon Gym, bringing the total to 12,000. The expansion makes Berkeley eligible to host NCAA basketball tournaments. The renovation also includes new men's and women's locker rooms, offices and luxury club rooms with sweeping views of nearby Edwards Track.

A new 200-seat theater constructed at the Hearst Field Annex, located just west of Hearst Gym, will be the new home of the Pacific Film Archive this October. The theater will remain at this location until a decision on the fate of the seismically unstable Berkeley Art Museum is made.

The Hearst Field Annex is also the new home for the College of Environmental Design, which moved in preparation for seismic retrofitting at Wurster Hall. The building includes dean's offices, studios and computer labs.

"I really like being here," said Sheila Dickie, the college's alumni relations and public relations director. "The openness of the space makes for easier communication. I have more work space and am closer to the students."

The Wurster Hall project will be completed in two phases. The north side of the building is scheduled to begin construction this fall, with a completion date set for Aug. 2000. Work on the south side will begin in 2001.

The Hearst Mining Building, a state and national historical landmark, is in the midst of a major retrofitting and renovation project, continuing over the next two years. The work includes restoration of architectural features as well as modernization of labs and facilities.

An underground utilities project has been initiated and will continue throughout the campus over the next several years. The project incudes upgrades of water, sewer and steam lines, fire hydrant systems and computer cables for the information super highway.

Off campus, Albany Village, which houses students with families, is being demolished and replaced with newly constructed buildings. The structures, originally built in the 1940s as temporary housing for shipyard workers during World War II, do not meet current building codes or seismic safety standards.

The new apartments feature more functional living spaces, such as study alcoves, improved landscaping, lighting and soundproofing as well as computer connections and cable access. Upgrades include more disabled-accessible units and replacement of existing underground utilities.

The project, begun in June 1998, will be completed through several phases. Some apartments from Step 1, which includes a total of 392 units, will be ready for occupancy within the next three weeks. Step 1 is scheduled for completion in fall 2000 at a cost of approximately $55 million.

September 8 - 14, 1999 (Volume 28, Number 5)
Copyright 1999, The Regents of the University of California.
Produced and maintained by the Office of Public Affairs at UC Berkeley.
Comments? E-mail berkeleyan@pa.urel.berkeley.edu.